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Alright friends, I just want to ask that you bow your heads in prayer with me one more

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time to invite the Spirit of the Lord to be with me here.

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Let's bow our heads for prayer.

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Dear Heavenly Father, I want to thank you so much for the special music here as well

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that was truthfully a blessing Lord and I pray and ask that you would fill me with your

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spirit so that I may be able to speak your wonderful and good message.

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In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

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Okay so I want to say first and foremost Happy Sabbath.

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So wonderful and beautiful Sabbath today.

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It was a little bit rainy outside but that's fine.

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Those days are good too.

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I know me particularly I enjoy those rainy days because I get to stay inside and hear

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the rain on the windows and those type of things.

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It's always nice to thank the Lord for the rainy days too.

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And so I want you to picture right now specifically, I want you to picture yourself walking through

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a New York City, the New York City metropolis.

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On your left hand side you have Spiderman and you have Superman and you know the people

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dressing up in costumes and you have your magicians and your showman the mime who's

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doing his mime thing.

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And on your right hand side you have aspiring musicians.

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You have the guitarist, the person who's there playing on the bucket drum.

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You have various other musicians, people like to set out the pianos there and you see all

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the busyness of the street.

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You see all the busyness in New York City and you look forward in front of you and what

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you see is you see people zooming by you, the cars zooming by and you have all the crowd.

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And you wonder to yourself in the middle of that city, you wonder can I find lasting peace

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in this city?

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Is there a real chance, real opportunity for me to have peace in this city?

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Some people might say hey, you know I live in New York City and I'm fine.

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I'm doing okay.

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I take my car or take the cab to work every single day and you know I feel great about

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my life, right?

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But to those people I would ask what is real peace?

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What is sustainable peace?

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To some others it might be just having a cup of coffee in the morning or maybe making some

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tea and being at home reading some good reading material.

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And although there are some things that you know we can say bring us peace or at least

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aid to the peace, sustainable peace is something entirely different.

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Something that we can only have truthfully by submitting to the Spirit of God.

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Some others might say hey, well you know I have a log cabin and you know I go out and

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I'm in the middle of the nature and have you know the birds chirping and everything is

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wonderful and dandy.

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And I feel great going out there chopping wood and making the fireplaces and all those

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things, right?

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But at the end of the day if we do not have a sustainable, the sustainable Spirit of God

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then there is really no way we'll have lasting peace.

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It'll be short-lived peace.

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And what we are here in this world to do is to preach the gospel, to preach people eternal

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peace.

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Our scripture for the day is Philippians 4, 6 and 7, be anxious for nothing but in everything

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through prayer with supplication and thanksgiving make your requests known to God and the peace

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of God which passes all understanding shall keep your minds and hearts through Christ

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Jesus.

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This should echo inside of our hearts and our minds.

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Those first few words there, be anxious for nothing.

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When we think about our day-to-day lives, when we think about the things that we do

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on a day-to-day basis, there are so many things that can bring us worry, so many things that

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can weigh us down, that can burden our minds and our hearts and our souls.

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But God tells us be anxious for nothing because I am in control.

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What is it that Jesus says in Matthew 5, Matthew 6 and 33, seek ye first the kingdom of God

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and his righteousness and all these things shall be added onto you.

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He says have I not ordained the lilies greater than Solomon?

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Have I not showed you that I feed the birds of the air?

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How much more will I take care of you?

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How much more will I take away your worries?

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Worry not about tomorrow's troubles because today has enough troubles on its own.

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And even then he will lead you, he will give you the strength that you need in order to

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get through those troubles and those worries, to have faith.

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When Simon was asked, when Simon Peter was asked by Jesus, who do you think I am?

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What did he say?

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Well, you're the Christ.

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He said blessed are you because the Spirit of God has revealed this onto you.

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It is only by measure of the Spirit of God that we can ever have lasting peace, ever

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have the strength to get through our worries.

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If someone like Peter can be shown revelation to who Christ is, how much more should we

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have revelation in our Christ and our Savior to understand that he is the one that leads

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us through adversity?

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And what is the next thing that comes into that verse?

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Be anxious for nothing but in everything through prayer, everything, all things should be submitted

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to God.

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Now, of course, you know, you might wake up in the morning and be like, well, hey, God,

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should I brush my teeth today or not?

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Of course, there are things that are automatic.

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There are things that we really should not involve God in because, well, hey, you know,

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this is a trivial matter.

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He gives us free will, right?

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But when we think about our day-to-day lives, when I'm about to make a big decision on whether

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or not I'm going to accept this job or take a big move, those are the things that we come

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to God to.

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I'm a student.

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And when I'm in school, there are so many things that I need to do that if I didn't

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have Jesus, I don't know how I would be here right now.

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And that's the only way that we can ever get through those things.

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So everything in prayer, coming to the Lord, submitting ourselves to him, and supplication,

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what is supplication?

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When I think about supplication, I think about the psalmist.

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I think about him kneeling down, coming to the Lord, Lord, save me from oppression.

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Lord, show me what it is I must do.

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Lord, give me the strength.

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Psalm 17 and 5, hold up my goings and I pass, then my footsteps slip not.

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That is the type of supplication.

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That is the type of submission that is required for us to have an understanding of true and

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lasting peace.

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After we have brought ourselves into prayer, into supplication, what's the next thing that

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comes in?

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Thanksgiving.

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May I have thanksgiving for the things that the Lord has given me.

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Matthew 6, and if you can turn to Matthew 6, Matthew 6 gives us a template on how we

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should pray.

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Matthew 6 and verse 10.

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And it says, our father, and when you get there give me a hearty amen.

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Amen, all right.

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That didn't sound very enthusiastic.

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Amen, we've got to be enthusiastic about the word of God.

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Amen.

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Amen.

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And so what does it say?

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It says, our father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

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Here's the first thing that happens.

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Lord, adoration for your name.

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Respect, reverence for your name.

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Your kingdom come, your will be done.

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The second thing, let your will be done here.

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Remove me from the equation, Lord, so that I may have your will done in my life.

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Because when I'm the one who's taking control of this situation, things are going to go

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awry.

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I'm going to make mistakes because I am imperfect.

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But God says, we should say, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

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God is right now, is not Jesus, does it not tell us in Hebrews that Jesus is conducting

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his priestly ministry right now?

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Interceding for us, mediating for us, Lord, let your will be done in heaven as it is in

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earth.

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Give us this day our daily bread, the things that we should ask him for.

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Lord, bring us the things that we need so that we may be sustained, so that we may be

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able to walk forward in your truth.

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Help us to forgive.

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Because if someone has burdens in their heart, if someone does not allow themselves to forgive

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someone who has done them wrongly, they shall have more worries in their life.

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The worries will pile up because you're holding on to that burden when crisis has told you

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forgive that person so that that debt is lifted off of your soul, so that you may be forgiven.

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As we forget our debtors, do not lead us into temptation.

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Help us to overcome so that we can be better.

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And then deliver us from the evil one.

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As you hear our supplication, deliver us from the evil one.

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In your kingdom be done in the power and the glory to him.

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That's how it ends.

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It ends with giving him the reverence.

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It starts with reverence and it ends with reverence.

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This is how we should pray so that we may have the peace that passes all understanding.

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Be anxious for nothing but in everything do prayer by supplication with thanksgiving.

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Make your requests known to God.

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And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your minds and hearts through Christ

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Jesus.

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Those last few words there, keep your minds and hearts.

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It means that when we come into prayer with the Lord, he shall protect us.

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He will send his angels to guard us so that we may have that peace, that lasting peace.

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You know Paul, when he was going through his missionary journey, when he was in his Roman

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cell, what he thought of was how can I reach my brothers in the church of Philippi with

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friendship.

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Because when he went there in his third missionary journey, he was overjoyed, rejoiced in the

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fellowship that he had there with them.

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He was truthfully joyful.

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And that's something for us to take into account for our own peace.

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Being at peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Having wonderful fellowship.

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Coming to Sabbath school.

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And spending time in Sabbath school sharpening each other.

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So that you may be able to not only have that peace, but impart that peace onto the people

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that are around you.

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And that's exactly what Paul was doing when he wrote this letter.

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When you go through the first four verses in Philippians 1-4, and it reads, Philippians

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1-4.

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And if you get there, it's on the screen here, but you know some people like to have their

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paper Bibles, so you definitely want to get there.

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And so Philippians, that's 4, 1-4.

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And it says, Therefore, my beloved and longed for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast

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in the Lord, beloved.

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I implore Iodia and I implore Synthache to be of the same mind in the Lord.

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And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel,

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with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.

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Rejoice in the Lord always.

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Again, I will rejoice with you.

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What are those first words that he says?

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You are my crown and my joy.

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All he was out there preaching to his brothers and sisters because he knew that the reward

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for having preached to his brothers and sisters, being in fellowship with him, was great.

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The peace that was imparted upon him.

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Think about it.

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Think about yourself in a Roman cell.

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How would you feel knowing that you're about to die?

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You must be ready.

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You must have the peace that passes all understanding.

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Imagine some of the people that are in death row right now for the great sins they have

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committed.

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They're not right with Jesus.

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There's definitely going to be some fear for their death.

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Now is fearing death a bad thing?

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Does not Jesus say that there comes a time where there will be some people who will not

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taste death until his coming?

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Fear in some sense can be good, but who do you fear?

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Do you fear God or do you fear Satan?

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If one is at peace with their death, they have reached and had the peace that passes

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all understanding.

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But they are peace, better said.

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So Paul was making his journey there to be with his brothers and sisters in joy with

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his brothers and sisters.

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And those are the things that we should have understanding of.

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The supplication and his missionary journey.

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And then you have furthermore, Philippians, a little bit further down.

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Okay here, I closed my Bible by accident here.

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And going down a little bit more, thinking on the things that are good, that are just.

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Philippians 4 and 8, what so ever things are honest, what so ever things are true, noble,

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what so ever things are just, what so ever things are pure, what so ever things are lovely,

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what so ever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise,

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think on these things.

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I can tell you from my own personal experience that the moments that I have taken my mind

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off of Christ, the moments that I have decided to engage in something that is not correct,

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that is against the Lord, is the moment that I can see the peace of God slipping away from

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me.

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Whether it be spending time in Hollywood movies that are showing all types of violence and

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craziness that you shouldn't be engaged in.

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Or whether it be listening to bad music.

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I came from the music industry and there is music that glorifies violence and gangs and

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worldly things.

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That is the essence of the metropolis.

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Now will I stand here and tell you that there aren't some churches out there in the metropolis

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trying to preach the gospel onto the people inside?

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Of course, do we not need to be out there preaching the gospel to people?

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Of course we do.

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But there is a whole darker and deeper place within the metropolis.

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And we all have to make our choice on whether or not we are going to engage in that or we

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are going to say, hey look, we are only here strangers passing by to help you get out of

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this place.

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Because there is a place of greater peace, sustained peace, whatsoever things are true,

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whatsoever things are honest.

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Those are the things that we should think on.

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What we subject our mind to is a direct result of who we will be.

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If I spend my time hanging out in a rap clique, chances are I am going to be like the people

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in the rap clique.

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But if I spend my time in church filling my mind with the word of God, does not Isaiah

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26 verse 3 say, the man whose mind is stayed on thee shall be in perfect peace?

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It's the word of God that sustains us, the word of God that brings us everlasting peace.

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Amen?

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Who here wants to have the eternal peace?

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I know I do.

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And there will come a time where that fulfillment will come about, where the Lord will come

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in and take us to be with him up in the clouds to have that eternal peace.

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So filling our minds with the things that are of God, with the things that are truthfully

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what he desires us to have.

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There are so many things that we can be led astray by.

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In Philippians 4 and 13, it says, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens

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me.

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Now can God give you a strength that is like Samson's?

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If you want to take a Nazarite vow?

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Or can he possibly save you from something that seems to be impossible to escape from?

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Of course, the Lord is deliverer.

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But what Paul was talking about here specifically is about temptations.

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The Lord will save you from the temptations that take you away from him.

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You need to make your request known to God.

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Replace in your brothers and sisters.

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There's also another way to fight temptation aside from having that understanding that

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you should come in prayer with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Having prayer meetings.

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Having a prayer line.

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Having those that you can lean on.

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A prayer partner.

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When I was in the SALT program, one of the things that we would do was every single Tuesday

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after the week ended, we would all pick a prayer partner.

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And throughout that whole entire week, we were praying for that person.

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We're conducting an intercessory prayer.

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And that's something that is so vital.

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We were talking about it today in the Sabbath school lesson.

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When we pray for someone else, it gives God the chance to be able to intercede.

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To be able to get us not only to influence that person but for him to use other people

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around them.

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And even much better is when we talk to someone and they allow us to pray with them.

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When they say, yes, you can pray for me.

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Because that opens the door for them to also be able to have God engage in their life.

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We've already said that we can pray for them.

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What's next is us being able to actually talk to them about Jesus.

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And what's next after that, actually doing a Bible study with them.

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So the Lord strengthens us not only to get through temptation but he strengthens us to

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have the courage in order to preach the gospel onto all the earth.

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Onto the people who need it.

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My professor, Dr. Hartman, while I was in the program, he told me something that was

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so impactful and it was true.

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He told me that you will experience the fact that when you minister to others, it will

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be just as much as it is for you as it is for the person that you are ministering to.

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So how much more should we be out there preaching to people, doing Bible studies with people

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so that we can have the peace that passes all understanding, so that we can produce

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the fruit that God has called us to produce.

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God strengthens us to be a living sacrifice, to have the strength that is required so that

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we can help our brothers and sisters in Christ.

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And speaking about fruit, Philippians 4, 17 and 18 says, not that I seek the gift but

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I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.

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Indeed, I have all and abound, I am full having received from Ephorodotus the thing sent from

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you, a sweet smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.

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A living sacrifice.

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First Corinthians 2, 15.

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God calls us to be a living sacrifice, a pleasing aroma to both the saved and those that perish.

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When we engage in acts of service, when we engage in speaking to people about Christ,

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not only are the brothers and sisters that we have in our congregation affected, inspired,

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but also the people who are lost in the world are affected as well.

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They see, believe it or not, we are being watched.

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Everyone has a ministry, everyone has a purpose, everyone has a place that they should be in

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and they are watching as well.

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Who here wants to affect the next person, even the person who's lost?

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Say amen.

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Amen.

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I know that I want to affect every person that I possibly can.

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I want to make sure that the people that I come in contact with know that Jesus is my

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savior.

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When they see me, they should see Jesus.

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When they see me, they should see someone who's a Christian, who's a believer.

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There's a story that I remember someone telling me about how they were working in an establishment

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as an accountant, I believe.

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And they're a Christian.

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They had spent their whole entire lives there.

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Well, they had spent at least two, three years there.

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And one of their coworkers finally asked them, you know, had the courage to talk to them

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and asked them, what?

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I didn't even know you were a Christian.

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To work at an establishment and talk to someone for two to three years and them not know you're

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a Christian, that should tell you something.

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At some point, you should have talked to them at least about Jesus gave them a card or something.

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Right?

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But doing those acts of service is what brings you that peace.

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And once you start doing it more, the more you want to do it, because you see the fruits

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of Christ being produced in your life.

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As a canvasser, whenever I go out into the field and I see how people want the biblical

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materials, it's something that inspires me to want to continue.

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I know I'm content with my life in Christ.

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Why?

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Because I have gone out and I have done the good work.

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I have labored for my Lord.

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I have labored a labor of love not only for my brothers and sisters here, but also labored

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a labor of love for those in the world, just like Christ, the great commission.

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And that's something that we should all have great peace in our hearts for.

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Because he takes us into doing those works, not that we are saved by them, but because

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we are saved, because we have understood the great faith that we have.

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How can we ever forfeit such a great salvation?

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The saving grace that has made us on to good works.

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That production of fruit in our lives is what helps us to be a sweet saver.

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And then the definitive statement at the end of Philippians 4, that grace, the grace of

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our Lord Jesus says from 21 to 23, greet every saint in Christ Jesus, the brethren who are

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with me, greet you.

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All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household.

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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

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Amen.

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Paul starts with, therefore, beloved brethren, you are my joy, you are my crown.

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And then he ends with grace be upon you.

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Who wants to have the grace of the Lord upon you?

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Say amen.

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Amen.

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He starts with beloved joy and crown.

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I rejoice at the fact that I have been able to have this friendship with you.

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To have been able to outpour the friendship of Christ.

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It's not Christ, did not Christ come down from his heavenly abode?

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No, he did not make himself a king.

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He did not make himself someone greater than Herod.

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He made himself a servant, lowly, humble, and meek.

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Born in a manger.

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And then he said, no, no, do not stand in front of me, do not stand behind me, stand

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next to me.

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Because I have come here to make you my friend.

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Jesus, friend of sinners, of publicans.

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He accused him of being a wine-bibber.

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But he called Matthew anyway.

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He told him, come and follow me.

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Pick up your cross and follow me.

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And that's what we should do.

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We should pick up our cross and follow him.

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Know the grace of Christ.

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Follow after Paul's example and understanding that.

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That is what our loving Father has called us to do.

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And I want to thank you so much for that.

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I want to leave you on that note of understanding and rejoicing in the Lord every single day.

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As it says in Philippians 4, 6, and 7, be anxious for nothing.

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Can you repeat it with me?

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Do you know the verse?

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If you can't go to your Bible, let's repeat it together.

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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, through prayer, by supplication, with thanksgiving,

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make your request known to God, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall

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keep your minds and hearts through Christ Jesus.

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Everyone should memorize that one.

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It's a real good one.

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It's one of my favorite verses.

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So I want to leave you on that, and let us bow our heads for prayer.

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Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for all that you do.

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I thank you for having me here, Lord, for being able to preach unto my brothers and

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sisters in Christ about the wonderful peace of God.

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I pray and ask that you will impart that peace on them, Lord, that they will have that peace

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inside of their minds and inside of their hearts, that they will be invigorated not

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only to have that peace, but to also impart that peace onto others.

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If everyone here can just one person impart that peace to, then it is a success.

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If they can preach that peace onto just one person who is lost, then it will be success,

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Lord.

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And I pray and ask that you will help them in their day-to-day lives as the worries and

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the stresses of this world try to cave in men, cave us in, Lord, that you will help

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us to overcome the adversities of this world.

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Because you are at the door, and as this world is coming to a close, Lord, we know that you

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are in control, our Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Counselor, Wonderful.

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These are your names, and we thank you for all that you do, Lord.

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In Jesus' name we pray.

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Amen.